1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an imaging apparatus having an optical zoom mechanism, a viewing angle correction method therefor, and a storage medium.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a digital camera having an optical zoom mechanism where the operating range of the zoom lens is defined as a range from a WIDE end to a TELE end, when the zoom lens is to be moved to the WIDE end or the TELE end, it is in some cases difficult to stop the zoom lens at these or one of these endpoints without the zoom lens straying off the defined operating range (backlash). In these cases, a backlash control operation is required to be performed by which the zoom lens is once moved by an extra distance toward the WIDE side or the TELE side from the endpoint and then moved back to the end point.
When the zoom lens is being moved by an extra distance toward the WIDE side, images having a viewing angle wider than the original viewing angle at the wide angle end of the lens enter, and whereby the zoom operation includes a bouncing sort of movement.
If an image exposed at this point is outputted to a display device as it is, the bounce in the zoom operation may directly be displayed. In a range wider than the WIDE end, noise, vignetting, and the like around the lens may be displayed. To prevent these problems, a technology has been proposed which reduces the bounce in the zoom operation due to the backlash control operation and the display of noise, vignetting, and the like around the lens in the wide-angle range.
However, for example, in a technology disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (Kokai) Publication No. 2004-023580, display update is stopped at the time of backlash. Therefore, a real view image freezes during the stop (approximately one second), which makes a user feel a sense of incongruity.
Also, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (Kokai) Publication No. 05-103243 discloses a technology for seamlessly performing optical zooming and digital zooming, whereby an operation delay due to backlash can be solved. However, with this technology, the bounce in the zoom operation due to the backlash control operation and the display of noise, vignetting, and the like around the lens in the wide-angle range cannot be reduced.